The 40-year-old’s side are now sixth after a run of four league wins on the spin and are looking for a fifth – a feat they have not managed for almost four seasons

Brendan Rodgers has warned Arsenal and Chelsea that Liverpool are ready pounce and snatch a top-four spot if they slip up before the end of the season.

The Reds have won their last four league games, rising to sixth in the league, and the Ulsterman believes his side can continue to climb the table between now and the end of the campaign.

He told reporters: “The teams above will know they can’t be making any slip-ups, not only because of us but for themselves.

“This is the stage of the season when you want to win games, and you have to win them. Our recent run of form shows without doubt we’re a team which is improving and developing.

“The result against Tottenham showed the further enhancement of that, and we have to maintain that form to keep moving forward.”

Rodgers is delighted that his side are now starting to reap the rewards after finally getting to grips with his patient style of play and believes that they can push on even further next season.

He continued: “People know now we’re a different team compared to the start of the season, for sure.

“There is a different mentality now, but there is no point in us getting carried away and looking too far ahead. We can only concentrate on ourselves and get as many victories as we can.

“I’ve seen the change since the turn of the year when we got another two players with the profile that helps this way of working. Anyone watching the team regularly will see the amount of difference but as I said there is still a lot of work to do.

“It’s all about doing the hard work – the dirty work – to earn the right to play, and these players deserve so much credit for doing that when things didn’t go well at the start.

“We now know if we work the way we have done in games and make no mistakes, then we’re going to be a real threat going forward, and that’s what we are looking for.”